


iPod Shuffle One-Shot Challenge

by VideoGameImagines



Category: Far Cry (Video Games), Life Is Strange (Video Game), Uncharted (Video Games), inFAMOUS (Video Games), inFAMOUS: Second Son
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M, One-Shots, Requests from my Tumblr, Something from my Tumblr, Song fics
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-31
Updated: 2016-06-20
Packaged: 2018-07-11 08:45:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,412
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7041313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VideoGameImagines/pseuds/VideoGameImagines
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In celebration of hitting 300+ followers on Tumblr, I created a new one-shot challenge to say thank you!</p><p>This idea was kind of a strange one (so I have no idea if you guys are going to like it or if it’ll be popular) but here goes; music has always been a huge inspiration to me when I’m writing so I decided to incorporate that into a challenge. The idea behind this one is that I’m going to put my iPod on shuffle and according to how many skips you guys list that you want, I will skip that many songs and the song that I end up landing on will be what I write a one-shot based off. So the song and its lyrics will be what I base the story on; I hope that made sense. </p><p>So you guys will get short little one-shots with the pairings of your choice and you’ll get a peek into my strange taste in music. This is probably going to be a limited challenge because I have no idea if everyone is going to like the idea and if anyone is going to want make requests</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Thank You For 300+ Followers on Tumblr!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first chapter is just going to be a list of all the requests that I've received and that I will be writing! I apologize for slow updates but I have a lot of other requests to work through. Please be patient with me... I appreciate it so much! Thank you guys!

**List of Requests I’ve Received and Will Fill**

 

Chapter 2- **Belong (Rafe Adler X Reader)** _Based on Belong by Cary Brothers_ (Done)

  
Chapter 3- **Always Been You (Delsin Rowe X Reader)** _Based on Always Been You by The Sweeplings_ (Done)

  
Chapter 4- **Losing Your Memory (Pagan Min X Reader)** _Based on Losing Your Memory by Ryan Star_ (Done)

  
Chapter 5- **Beside You (Nathan Prescott X Reader)** _Based on Beside You by Marianas Trench_ (Done)

  
Chapter 6- **Stranger (Sam Drake X Reader)** _Based on Stranger by Secondhand Serenade_ (Done)

  
Chapter 7- **Kiss With A Fist (Mentor Altair X Reader)** _Based on Kiss With A Fist by Florence + The Machine_

  
Chapter 8- **Salvation (Cole MacGrath X Reader)** _Based on Salvation by Gabrielle Aplin_

  
Chapter 9- **Save Yourself (Nathan Prescott X Reader)** _Based on Save Yourself by James Morrison_

  
Chapter 10- **Hanging On (Rafe Adler X Reader)** _Based on Hanging On (Edit) by Ellie Goulding_

 

Chapter 11- **Pause (Sam Drake X Reader)** _Based on Pause by SafetySuit_

  
Chapter 12- **Vindicated (Jacob Frye X Reader)** _Based on Vindicated by Dashboard Confessional_

  
Chapter 13- **Clarity (Sam Drake X Reader)** _Based on Clarity by Zedd (Featuring Foxes)_

  
Chapter 14- **Collide (Nathan Prescott X Reader)** _Based on Collide by Howie Day_

  
Chapter 15- **Poison and Wine (Sir Galahad X F! Reader)** _Based on Poison and Wine by The Civil Wars_

  
Chapter 16- **Give Me Love (Sam Drake X Reader)** _Based on Give Me Love by Ed Sheeran_

  
Chapter 17- **The Mess I Made (Delsin Rowe X Reader)** _Based on The Mess I Made by Parachute_

  
Chapter 18- **The Lightning Strike (Joel [TLOU] X Reader)** _Based on The Lightning Strike by Snow Patrol_

  
Chapter 19- **Oblivion (Edward Kenway X F! Reader)** _Based on Oblivion by Bastille_

  
Chapter 20- **Try (Rafe Adler X F! Reader)** _Based on Try by P!nk_

  
Chapter 21- **Endlessly (Sam Drake X F! Reader)** _Based on Endlessly by The Cab_

  
Chapter 22-   **Fireflies (Sam Drake X F! Reader)** _Based on Fireflies by Ron Pope_

  
Chapter 23- **That’s What You Get (Chloe Frazer X F! Reader)** _Based on That’s What You Get by Paramore_

  
Chapter 24- **Anywhere But Here (Nathan Drake X Reader)** _Based on Anywhere But Here by SafetySuit_

  
Chapter 25- **Vienna (Young Sam Drake X Reader)** _Based on Vienna by Billy Joel_

  
Chapter 26- **Angels On The Moon** **(Nathan Drake X F! Reader)** _Based on Angels On The Moon by Thriving Ivory_

  
Chapter 27- **Stolen (Rafe Adler X Reader)** _Based on Stolen by Dashboard Confessional_

  
Chapter 28- **The Way You Look Tonight (Nathan Drake X F! Reader)** _Based on The Way You Look Tonight by Frank Sinatra_

  
Chapter 29- **Boston (Nathan Drake X F! Reader)** _Based on Boston by Augustana_

  
Chapter 30- **Peaches (Nathan Prescott X Reader)** _Based on Peaches by New Heights_

  
Chapter 31- **She Is The Sunlight (Revolver Ocelot X Reader)** _Based on She Is The Sunlight by Trading Yesterday_

  
Chapter 32- **The River Has Run Wild (Joel [TLOU] X F! Reader)** _Based on The River Has Run Wild by Mads Langer_

  
Chapter 33- **Pieces (Rafe Adler X Reader)** _Based on Pieces by Red_

  
Chapter 34- **The Longer I Run (Sam Drake X Reader)** _Based on The Longer I Run by Peter Bradley Adams_

  
Chapter 35- **The Only Exception (Jacob Frye X Reader)** _Based on The Only Exception by Paramore_

  
Chapter 36- **Moondance (Sam Drake X Reader)** _Based on Moondance by Michael Bublé_

 

Chapter 37- **Can I Be Him (Nathan Drake X Reader)** Based on Can I Be Him by James Arthur


	2. Belong (Rafe Adler X Reader)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AN: The first request in my iPod Shuffle One-Shot challenge which was a request for a Rafe Adler X Reader pairing. Eight skips were requested and that ended up landing on Belong by Cary Brothers. So give it a listen if you can and I hope you enjoy the story! (Brief language warning! This is going to be angsty. How angsty? Hella…)

The moon was absolutely breathtaking this evening and you barely noticed the chill in the air. Perhaps that was due to the drink in your hand, on any other night you might have been sipping tea while watching the iridescent moon hanging in the sky. Then again most nights you didn’t find yourself in Scotland, trapped in a hotel room, battling your inner demons. So, no… the drink in your hand was not tea but something harsher and distinctly bitter. Perhaps, it was Brandy? You didn’t really care; it was whatever you happened to swipe from the Hotel mini bar. All that you really knew about the drink was that it was incredibly expensive and it tasted like shit. Although, it was doing a pleasant enough job of warming you up from the inside out; with another sip of that burning liquor the cold couldn’t chill you through the thin cotton of your nightgown and robe.

You looked over your shoulder and smiled lightly at the silence that continued to drift through the open door. Rafe has gone to bed a few hours ago but you were still wide awake and you reasoned that you were simply fighting a losing battle against jet lag. You had fallen into a pit of silent contemplation, a habit that you had picked up recently in the past few years. Truly, Glasgow was a beautiful city wholly alive and filled with people but even in a city as big as this, you couldn’t help but feel the bitter sting of loneliness. It was a ridiculous notion to feel lonely when your lover was asleep in the next room but you felt it just the same.

This wasn’t your first trip to Scotland but just like your previous trips they were fueled by the same reason, Henry Avery. Or it was his treasure that was fueling these frenzied searches and trips halfway across the world. Once upon a time, you had found Rafe’s passion and ambition to be some of his most attractive qualities but as time went on you didn’t appreciate it as much. Ambition and passion were fickle concepts that too quickly spiraled out of control; those traits were too easily manipulated into obsession or madness. You wanted neither of those things to befall Rafe but he was headed down a path that you could not follow.

Rafe had been searching for this treasure for far too many years and you had been with him through most of that journey but only recently a new fervor had taken hold. Something had changed in the last few days that had put a new-found fire in his search for Avery’s treasure. You knew that it had something to do with the Drake brothers; people that had been a part of Rafe’s life long before the two of you had met. Your hand clenched tightly around your glass as you thought about how you and Rafe had met all those years ago.

You had been attending a benefit gala for your family’s business and it was a stuffy positively dreadful event; the only real purpose it served was for entrepreneurs to flaunt their money and show off. You had been cornered by a particularly persistent businessman, Clarence Smith; you tried not to roll your eyes as he proceeded to inform you of how well his business had prospered that quarter. You had long since ceased adding anything worthwhile to the conversation and had instead taken to smiling as you sipped your drink; perhaps throwing in an affirmational nod here and there. You had begun discretely scanning the crowd, looking for an opportunity to excuse yourself from your current conversation when you locked eyes with someone across the room. He was speaking with another party guest but his eyes were firmly planted on you.

You continued your one-sided conversation with Mr. Smith until you heard an unfamiliar but welcome voice interrupting, “Pardon the interruption, Clarence, but our hosts are asking for you.”

Mr. Smith graciously excused himself, promising to find you later in the evening to finish your discussion; you could only muster up a sickeningly sweet smile in response. Once Mr. Smith was out of ear shot you let out an exasperated breath, turning toward your savior, “I have no idea who you are but I could kiss you for getting me out of that conversation.”

The man beside you gave a breathtaking smile, “You looked like you were practically being held at gunpoint. Clarence has a particular fondness for the sound of his own voice and I could hardly let you suffer through another minute of it.” You smiled coyly and he responded in kind, “However, if you still wanted to thank me then I could hardly deny you, now could I?”

You laughed softly, “Perhaps, later? Still thank you for stepping in when you did… Mister…?”

He caught on to your question and clasped your hand, placing a gentle kiss on the back of it, “Adler… Rafe Adler and you are?”

You blushed slightly at his actions, “Y/N… Y/N L/N and it is an absolute pleasure to meet you, Rafe.”

The two of you had hit it off immediately and that very night was the start of a long and beautiful relationship. You couldn’t help but look back on that night with a distant fondness and it was a memory that you found yourself looking back on more and more. You would have followed Rafe anywhere and you did. Wherever his hunt for this treasure led him you would follow him and support him in any way that he needed. But as time wore on you noticed that he began to change; he grew angrier as this treasure continued to elude him and it frightened you at times. Somehow you were always able to bring him back from the brink of his anger and despair but as time crawled on you couldn’t stand how distant he was becoming. 

Avery’s treasure was slowly taking your place and holding more and more of Rafe’s attention. It led to many lonely nights and sometimes you found yourself clinging to better and happier memories shared by the two of you. However, it was growing increasingly difficult to live in the past and cling to those memories, especially when the reality that you returned to was so harsh. If you could, you wouldn’t hesitate to go back in time and relive some of the better times like the night that the two of you had met or the first night that you fell asleep in his arms. You would give almost anything to go back to that night, back then the passion between the two of you was almost palpable; it was like a raging fire that couldn’t be extinguished. You could clearly remember lying in that bed, a mess of tangled limbs and when he looked at you it was like nothing you had ever felt before. The way that he looked at you that night, with his fingers lazily trailing patterns on your skin, made you feel like you were the center of his universe. He looked at you exactly as any woman dreamed of being looked at and in that moment it was the best feeling in the world. However, that was a long time ago and you tried not to be bitter over the thought. 

You tossed back the remaining liquor in your glass and carefully tip-toed back into your hotel room; being mindful that Rafe was sleeping. You left your empty glass on a table in the main living room before continuing on to the bedroom; you looked at Rafe’s peacefully sleeping form and you couldn’t help but laugh softly. Sometimes it amazed you how easily Rafe could fall asleep; he had his share of sleepless nights spent obsessing over Avery’s treasure but not tonight. Tonight he was at peace and you wished that you could say you felt the same.

You walked over to your side of the bed and pulled the covers back before sliding in between the silken sheets. You moved closer to Rafe and sighed as you saw a gentle smile stretched across his face; he hadn’t woken up so you assumed he was having a particularly pleasant dream. Was he dreaming of you? Your heart clenched as you reasoned that it was more likely he was dreaming about finding his treasure. You reached your hand up and gently stroked his smooth cheek marveling at the smile that he used to aim at you. In recent years, a smile had been so rare for Rafe that you worried he may have lost it completely but here in his dreams he was in the habit of letting his guard down.

You continued to gently stroke Rafe’s cheek until he started to slowly wake from his slumber; you carefully pulled your hand back. You let Rafe pull you into his arms and you let him burry his face into your hair; admittedly though you were unsure of many things, you were never unsure of how good it felt to be in his arms. His voice was slightly hoarse from sleep, “Are you alright, Y/N?”

You gently caressed the smooth skin on his back as you toyed with your thoughts, “Yeah I’m fine, Rafe… go back to sleep. I didn’t mean to wake you up.”  
He pulled you closer before sighing, “I love you, Y/N…”

Your hand stilled and it took you a moment to formulate a response, Rafe had already fallen back asleep when you spoke up, “Yeah, I love you too.” Did you mean it? After all of this time and the thousands of occasions that you had uttered the words, did they still hold any truth? Did you still mean those words? Could you still feel that love burning inside of you with every fiber of your being? Or had you simply said the words to fill the silence?

Your love was lying beside you dreaming, visions of his future fortune and endeavors were flickering in his mind; visions that a small part of you still hoped involved you. Yet you were lying in that bed wondering if you still had the right to call him yours. If you still had a claim on his love and if he still had any claim on yours. For tonight, you decided that those questions would remain unanswered… For now, you would pull him closer and fool yourself for one more night.


	3. Always Been You (Delsin Rowe X Reader)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AN: The Second request in my iPod Shuffle One-Shot Challenge and it was a request for a Delsin Rowe X Reader story. Seven skips were requested which ended up landing on Always Been You by The Sweeplings. Give the song a listen if you get a chance and I hope you enjoy the story! (This one ended up being super long, sorry! I just got a little too enthusiastic when crafting the reader’s backstory and establishing her powers, I guess.)

You stared down at the thick metal contraption ensnaring your hands and keeping you from using your powers. The armored van that you were being transported in was currently taking you somewhere in upstate Washington; you couldn’t say where you were because there were no windows in that van. You slumped forward in defeat, by now you were used to being confined this had been your life for the past year; it started back when you were hauled into Curdan Cay. You had a fairly normal existence up until the point that your powers had surfaced and you realized that you were a conduit. 

A year ago everything had been normal; you were a normal young adult trying to make it in the world with no sure fire direction to head in. You were living in Salmon Bay with your parents until your father had passed away; after that your mother needed to get away from the reservation. You naturally followed your mother to Seattle because she was your mother and you worried about her; moving to Seattle with her gave you peace of mind. If you were being honest, you had a hard time looking at your home in Salmon Bay and not finding memories of your father at every possible turn. Your mother wasn’t Akomish and she hadn’t spent her entire life on the reservation like you and the idea of leaving the reservation behind wasn’t as difficult for her as it was for you. You had grown up on the reservation, your whole life was there and all of your friends; that wasn’t easy to leave behind.

You hadn’t made it two months in Seattle when things had taken a turn for the worse; you were unpacking in your new apartment when you happened upon an old photo album. You knew that it was probably a bad idea to take a trip down memory lane when the grief was still so real and fresh but you had done it anyway. You made it to the third page of pictures before you broke down into a series of sobs that shook your body. Your body wasn’t the only thing that was shaking; the force of your emotions had triggered your powers right there in the middle of your apartment. You had created an earthquake in your apartment building, you later surmised that your abilities took on an aspect of elemental control; for some reason you could move the ground beneath your feet. You assumed that perhaps it was the dirt in the ground that you were causing to shift but the thought was frightening. You also had a degree of control over fire and water but any intense emotion that you felt ended up setting your powers off. After a particularly bad fit of anger, you had somehow set your living room curtains on fire; and on another occasion you had raised the water pressure in your pipes enough to cause them to burst.

You had worried about how your mother might react to powers and a small irrational voice in the back of your mind worried that she might turn you over to the D.U.P. but that never happened. Your mother had been far more accepting of your powers than you would have thought; she helped calm your fears to a degree. However, one day you had decided to pick something up from the market, despite your newfound hesitance to be in the public eye, you had gone anyway. When you were crossing the street a car had run a red light and nearly hit you but in your state of fear you threw your arms out to protect yourself. You closed your eyes and waited for the collision that never came; when you opened your eyes you realized that your powers had surfaced. You looked on in horror and noticed the jagged spikes of solidified dirt shooting up from the ground; the car that would have hit you swerved just in time narrowly avoiding a collision. After that, you were picked up and taken away by the D.U.P. where, much to your surprise, your powers weren’t reviled but rather revered. Brooke Augustine had taken a shine to you and she forced you to train and practice your skills for combat.

None of that really mattered anymore; you were being forced out of the cold grey walls of Curdan Cay into some new and unknown prison where you would probably spend the rest of your life. At least that’s what you had thought but if your life so far had taught you anything, it was that things never went according to plan. One of the Conduits that you were being transferred with had somehow gotten out of his restraints and the next thing that you knew the van that you were in had flipped. Things were a bit hazy but when you came to you were being pulled from the burning van by Fetch and Eugene; your unlikely friends and fellow conduits.   
When you righted yourself you had a flash of déjà vu, you knew this road… It’s the same road where you leaned to ride a bike and drive a car. You were back in Salmon Bay! Before you had any time to really appreciate it, Fetch was pulling on your arm, “Y/N! Wake up… we need to get out of here!”

She was right, as much as you wanted to stay and see your friends again, you were essentially a fugitive now and you couldn’t afford to linger. The trip back to Seattle was difficult and filled with fending off the D.U.P. but somehow you made it. You had managed to snag some normal clothes and now you had one destination in mind, home. After all that time locked up behind bars you just needed to see your mother and make sure that she was okay. You were slinking through the rainy streets of Seattle when you noticed a spray-painted depiction of a bunch of D.U.P. soldiers; there was something so familiar about the picture. You had seen this art style before and when you had remembered where you had seen it before your heart rate picked up.

Suddenly you heard the brief and somewhat heated exchange between two voices that you would have recognized anywhere. You practically ran towards the voices and when you rounded the corner your heart nearly stopped, “Delsin? Reggie?”

The two men turned toward you and you quickly pulled the hood of your jacket down; revealing your face. Delsin and Reggie both looked floored and Delsin was the first to speak, “Holy shit…Y/N?”

Reggie rushed over to you and drew you into a hug, “I’ll be damned… Y/N, what are you doing here?”  
You laughed, “I could ask you two the same thing! How? Why are you guys here?”

Delsin was giving you the strangest look, “Y/N…”

You smiled ruefully at him, “Hey Delsin… Long time no see.” Delsin crossed the short distance between the two of you and pulled you into his arms.

It was a good feeling but soon Delsin pulled away, “What happened to you? Where did you go?”

You frowned, “It’s a really long story, Delsin.”

A second didn’t even pass before he responded, “I’ve got some time. Seriously, where did you go? You left Salmon Bay and then suddenly you stopped returning my calls and messages. Where were you?”

You really didn’t want to be having this conversation because you were afraid of how Delsin and Reggie would react. But they were some of your closest friends, so you took a chance, “Curdan Cay… About a year ago I was hauled away to Curdan Cay. Believe me it’s not like I was trying to ignore you and you know I wanted to stay in Salmon Bay.”

Reggie spluttered, “Curdan Cay? Jesus, Y/N, you’re a conduit?”

You nodded your head, “Yeah I am. I know it’s a lot to take in and I understand if you guys don’t want to be around me…”

Reggie seemed to be stuck on the idea, “You’re a conduit…”

You sighed a little too heavily, “Yes, Reggie. You’ve built that bridge… now you just need to get over it.” Delsin started laughing and you were slightly offended, “What’s so funny?”

His eyes bulged, “I’m not laughing at you, it’s just…” Delsin held out his hand and you saw the smoke pouring from his fingertips, you could only look at him in bewilderment, “Yeah, looks like we’re in the same boat.” 

You looked between Reggie and Delsin, “Okay so wait… Why are you guys in Seattle?” It took a while for Delsin to explain but the more that he talked the more that everything clicked into place. You nodded in understanding, “I knew that Augustine was evil but that is a new low for her. Well, sign me up.”

Reggie laughed nervously, “Come again?”

You rolled your eyes, “If you guys are doing all of this to save the Akomish… then I want to help. They’re my tribe too.”

Reggie laughed again, “Great, now I’ve got to look out for the both of you. This will probably go about as well as that camping trip we took when you two were twelve.”

Delsin grimaced but you laughed, “You mean that time that Delsin found the only poison ivy bush in the entire forest?” You were practically wheezing, “He had to wear mittens for like a week to keep himself from itching.”

You and Reggie were in a fit of laughter but Delsin just sounded annoyed, “Okay, well if you two are just going to mess around then I’m going to do some actual work.” 

You called out to him as he disappeared through a nearby vent, “Come on, Delsin… Where are you going? What did I do to make him so upset?”

Reggie gave you a sad smirk, “I think he’s just trying to handle the current situation… He took it really hard when you left last year.”

You decided to look for Delsin on the rooftops but you didn’t have to look too hard; you approached the familiar figure. He must have heard you coming, “I was really pissed when you suddenly stopped talking to me. Just after you moved, you stopped talking to me and I thought about coming down here. I reasoned with myself that you wanted nothing to do with me… but now I wish I had come down here. I could have helped you.”

You placed a comforting hand on his back, “Hey, what happened to me wasn’t your fault. You couldn’t have known…” He simply nodded and stared off into the distance, so you continued, “So we’re setting out to dethrone Brooke Augustine… when do we start?” The following chuckle let you know that you were on the right track and your heart warmed at the sound. 

True to your word, you set out to help Delsin and the Akomish; freeing the city from D.U.P. control along the way. It had only been two days but you and Delsin were falling into the familiar rhythm of your friendship. Having your best friend back in your life suddenly made you realize how much you had missed him and your life back home. There was also something that you began to fall back into; your feelings for Delsin. You had these feelings long before you left Salmon Bay but you never acted on them for fear of tarnishing your friendship. But now after having missed him for so long and falling into the comfortable rhythm of your friendship you couldn’t help but feel the feelings rushing back in. You tried to push those feelings down, in order to focus on the mission at hand but it was difficult. Currently you and Delsin were helping to free some Conduits at Eugene’s request but doing so was practically like kicking a hornet’s nest. You had attracted too much attention and now it seemed like the full D.U.P. force was after you two. 

Your feet touched down on the next rooftop and you skidded to a stop before examining the ground below. You saw a rather large mass of D.U.P. soldiers scrambling on the ground below you; thankfully they hadn’t seen you yet so you were safe for the moment. However, the sheer number of soldiers that were gathering on the streets below was a number too great for just two people to handle. You took a breath before turning to Delsin, “There’s too many of them… we can’t take all of them on by ourselves.”

Delsin gave a smug smirk, “Come on, Y/N, have a little faith… We can do this.”

You sighed and shook your head, Delsin was just as cocky as you remembered him, “No, not this time. These guys are here for one reason and they’re not going to stop until they get what they came for. They’re here to haul us out to Curdan Cay… Guess we were making a little too much noise, huh?” 

Delsin closed the distance between the two of you in a few strides, wrapping his arms around you, “Hey, that is not going happen. I’m not going to let them take you away from me… I’m not losing you again.”

You embraced him sadly as you made your decision, “It’s not me that I’m worried about… Augustine will do just about anything to get her hands on you and your power.” You stepped away from Delsin and he looked confused, when he tried to follow you his steps were halted as you manipulated the ground beneath his feet. Suddenly his feet were being encased and held in place, “Don’t worry in a few minutes it’ll wear off and you’ll be able to move again. That gives me just enough time to draw them off…”

Delsin’s eyes grew comically large and he sounded pissed, “Y/N, you can’t fight them off by yourself…”

You smiled sadly and began to step backwards, “I never said I was going to fight them, Delsin, not for long anyway. They’re here to drag a conduit off to Curdan Cay but that doesn’t mean they’ll get both of us.”

Even though it was useless he began to struggle more violently, “Y/N, no! You can’t be serious; you just got away from them. I just got you back…”  
It was his choice of words that made your heart clench, you swallowed your pride, “You know in all of the years that we’ve know each other there was something that I never saw… until just recently. I don’t know maybe it was the year that we were apart that made me really see it but… I love you. It took me years and countless mistakes but I can finally admit to myself that I love you and I always have.”

You turned away and ignored Delsin’s desperate cries of your name as you dropped down from the rooftops and into the streets below. You jogged out toward the streets where you saw the mass of D.U.P. soldiers gathering; they were unaware of your presence so you decided to make a little extra noise. Summoning all of your strength you sent a shockwave of energy through the ground under their feet; jagged shards of the earth shot upwards knocking a great portion of the soldiers off their feet. That certainly got their attention as suddenly every pair of eyes focused on you; they scrambled into a messy formation and began firing bullets at you. You raised a column of solid earthy dirt and blocked the bullets before taking off and drawing the fire and attention away from the building where Delsin was currently stuck. 

You sped through the winding alleyways between buildings, occasionally shooting balls of fire toward the unaware soldiers so that you could get their attention and draw them away from their current positions. You heard a commotion coming from up above you where you noticed several D.U.P. soldiers were gathering on the rooftops above you; you used the ground beneath your feet to quickly raise yourself up to the rooftops. You delivered a swift and powerful kick to one unsuspecting soldier and you ran over to his companion quickly slamming them down onto the hard stone floor. You ran toward the edge of the roof and jumped pulling your fist back and drawing as much power as you could; your fist collided with the ground sending the D.U.P. soldiers in the immediate area flying backwards. However, you had attracted enough attention by now and a sea of D.U.P uniforms filed in around you with their guns drawn.

You knew that you couldn’t keep up the chase forever so you held your hands in surrender and the D.U.P. approached you with reasonable caution. One brave soul urged you forward with the barrel of his gun; forcing you into the back of a familiar armored van. You settled into the cold metal seat provided and let out a breath that you didn’t know you were holding onto. The van pulled away and as it drove you couldn’t run from the grim thought that you would be returning to the prison that had already held you for over a year. At the very least they had only managed to catch you and you were able to spare your friends, especially Delsin.

You had only closed your eyes for a moment before you felt the van jerking to the side and even through the thick metal you could hear the sounds of explosions and screeching tires. You listened closely to the sound of angry and panicked voices followed by the sound of even more explosions. You jumped at the sound of something pounding on the metal door to your right; suddenly the door was being pulled away and a familiar figure was standing in the doorway. You let out a surprised gasp, “Delsin? How did you…”

The relief in his expression was evident, “How did I what? Escape… Or find you?”

He moved slightly to the side, letting you pass, “I told you that it would wear off…” You looked behind Delsin and noticed the smoking lumps of metal that were once D.U.P vans, “How did you know which van I was in? I could have been in one of the vans that you destroyed.”

He sighed, “I have a very reliable source that has eyes everywhere. He let me know which van you were in.”

You couldn’t help the smile that managed to break free, “Eugene…”

Delsin nodded before looking down at his feet, “Y/N, what you did wasn’t right… You shouldn’t have stopped me.”

You groaned out loud, “There were too many of them, Delsin. I was just protecting you…”

His voice raised to a near shout, “That’s just it, Y/N! You decided that you were protecting me but you made that decision on your own… You decided what you thought was best without me. Do you have any idea how helpless I felt watching you walk into that fight alone? I felt the same thing that I felt a year ago when you left; I felt lost.” 

You weren’t really sure what to say, “Delsin, I…”

He cut you off and walked closer to you, “No, let me finish… I don’t want you to make decisions without me and I sure as hell don’t want you to protect me. Because I want to make those decisions with you, I want to have your back in a fight, and I want to be able to protect you…” In the next instant, Delsin was cradling your face and kissing you, it was over too soon but he continued to cradle your face, “I love you, too. Always have… now no more of that heroic sacrifice bullshit. We’re going to stop Augustine together and then we’ll figure the rest out together, deal?”

You laughed at his choice of words, “Deal.”


	4. Losing Your Memory (Pagan Min X Reader)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: The third request in my iPod Shuffle One-Shot Challenge and it was for a Pagan Min X Reader story. Three skips were requested which landed on Losing Your Memory by Ryan Star give it a listen if you get the chance. I’m so sorry that this took so long to post but I worked the last five days in a row until really late at night; I came home each night just exhausted. Also, this was a surprising challenge, it was a little difficult to craft a story based on this song with this pairing. So I really hope I got it right! Anyway, I hope you enjoy the story!

You carefully slid your now freshly cleaned and sharpened daggers into their holsters before zipping your jacket up and holstering your handgun on your thigh. You gave a shaky sigh as you slipped your arm through the strap on your rifle; letting it slap against your back as you walked out of the safe house. You did your best to appear calm as you approached the gathering crowd of Golden Path soldiers; your confident demeanor was a complete lie but you would be damned if you let everyone else know that. Two familiar figures pushed through the crowd toward you, a strong arm clasped your shoulder and you tried not to wiggle out of the familiar embrace.

Sabal’s familiar voice washed over you, “How are you feeling, Y/N? Are you prepared?”

You breathed out slowly, “Yes, Sabal, I am prepared. Although, I suppose I am worried over how this will all end.”

Sabal’s grip on your shoulder grew distinctly tighter, “It will surely end in your victory, Y/N.”

Amita walked over toward you and pushed Sabal’s hand off of your shoulder and looked at you, “There is no shame in holding off, Y/N. If you are not ready for this then it can wait.”

Sabal sounded angry, “Amita, we have waited long enough for this moment… Y/N is ready.” 

The two began arguing back and forth and you suddenly needed some air by now your fellow Golden Path soldiers had begun to disperse and suddenly you were alone with your thoughts. It was more than likely that this would be a one way trip; if you were even able to complete your mission it wasn’t guaranteed that you would make it out alive. You were carrying out this mission for the simple satisfaction that you hoped would come with exacting revenge; if all went according to plan then tonight you would kill the self-proclaimed King of Kyrat. You took in another steadying breath before walking toward the car that had been provided for you but before you reached the door a hand clasped your own and pulled you back.

You turned around and tried not to groan when you looked into Sabal’s eyes, “Be sure that you don’t let any lingering feelings stay your hand. If you are successful tonight then it may mend your standing in the Golden Path.”

You raised an eyebrow at him, “Mend my standing in the Golden Path?”

Sabal seemed to backtrack upon uttering the words, “I simply mean that the Golden Path would overlook any past mistakes if you succeed.”  
You scoffed, “Mistakes? I was unaware that I made mistakes, Sabal. I made choices and no one but myself has the right to call those choices mistakes. What I plan to do tonight is my own choice and one that I will carry out in the memory of my brother.”

You ripped your hand away and barely heard Sabal’s quiet words, “Be careful, Y/N.” You climbed into the car and slammed the door behind you before turning the key in the ignition. You pulled out of the Golden Path compound and headed down the darkened road in contemplative silence. It had taken a great deal to drive you to this point but the final blow had been delivered when you received word that your brother had been killed; he was executed by the Royal army. And it was the delivery of that news that had pushed you to this point; the point at which you desired nothing but revenge for the end of your brother’s life. 

The news that the Royal Army had carried out the execution is what truly crushed you because that would have meant that the order was given by the King. Even now, you didn’t want to believe that the man you had come to know would have done such a thing. And yet, here you were… driving down an empty road in a stolen Royal Army vehicle ready to kill the apparent King of your country; a man that you thought you knew quite well.

You hadn’t put your faith in either side of the civil war… but you knew that was a lie; you couldn’t have as intimate of a relationship with the King that you did and still consider yourself neutral. Growing up in Kyrat had granted you an up close and personal look at the inner workings of the Golden Path but as you grew you noticed the mounting discord amongst the group. Amita and Sabal were both good friends of yours but you noticed that they could never seem to get along. They never saw eye to eye and that proved that the Golden Path was fighting amongst itself to a degree. You saw this and hoped, somewhat naïvely that a diplomatic ending could be reached. Taking that burden upon yourself, you decided to meet with the King of Kyrat and try to negotiate some sort of peace for the people of Kyrat. However, it seemed that the only people who met with the King face to face were either his advisors or were now dead but you were willing to take the risk. The Golden Path couldn’t stop fighting amongst themselves long enough to make decisions that would help the people of Kyrat and Kyrat couldn’t survive under the boot of its current ‘King’. 

You decided that you would request an audience with the King and attempt some sort of diplomatic negotiations; if it could give your people even a chance at a better life then you would gladly give your life in forfeit. However, to your surprise you had been granted the audience with the King and it did not go as you had expected it to. The King was quite charismatic and open to your thoughts which you appreciated and you held onto the hope that it meant you could change the lives of everyone living in Kyrat. Soon enough, your time with the King turned into something that was more than diplomatic; you had fallen under his charm and your visits to the palace took on a desire beyond the well-being of Kyrat. You quickly realized that you had fallen in love with the intrepid King of Kyrat and your heart positively soared when you found that feelings were shared.

You spent more and more time at the palace and when you did make the trips back to your village you did your best to ignore the whispers behind your back. You tried with everything that you had to ignore the pointed looks aimed at you and the cold remarks that labeled you a traitor to your people. In truth, you wondered if their words had any merit; you had gone to the King to negotiate peace but instead you had surrendered your heart. In that light, you supposed you were a traitor at least in the eyes of your people. Back then you couldn’t find in yourself to care but perhaps you should have. Perhaps that would have made all the difference in the world. Maybe if you hadn’t lost yourself along the way when you fell in love… well then maybe things could have been different.

One evening, you were returning from the palace to your village when you noticed all of the villagers were gathered around one building. You got out of your car and approached the building; not liking the way that the villagers practically dove out of your way with sympathy in their eyes. You vaguely remember Amita and Sabal coming out to meet you; when they told you what had happened you collapsed under the grief. Your brother had been killed that evening before your return; according to Sabal, he was found just outside of the next village. He was surrounded by fallen soldiers of the Royal Army and that led the Golden Path to believe that it was an execution ordered by the King. You didn’t want to believe that it was the truth but in your emotionally charged state it was the only outcome that made sense.

You didn’t want to believe that Pagan was capable of doing something that utterly atrocious, especially to you. How could he? How could he lie beside you at night with the knowledge of such a betrayal? Those thoughts were cluttering your mind as you drove through the dirt roads of Kyrat. You were so trapped in your own mind that you couldn’t truly process how odd it was that the roads were so quiet; you had passed several checkpoints that were oddly abandoned. You ditched your car when you were getting near the palace and continued on foot through the thick jungle foliage. It was a long trip filled with contemplation and the occasional sound of varying wildlife but mercifully you finally came to the outskirts of the palace.

You crept quietly through the darkened palace through the servants’ quarters; up on the main floor you dodged the nightly guard rotation until you found the door that you were looking for. You crept into the pitch black room and slinked over to Pagan’s bed, you tightened your grip on your dagger before pulling back the cover on Pagan’s bed. Before you could do anything the lights in the room flickered on; you looked down to the bed in front of you and found nothing but pillows and sheets. You growled in frustration before tossing the cover down onto the bed in front of you, you turned toward the figure sitting in the chair in the corner of the room, “Pagan…”

The man in question leaned forward, elbows placed on top of his knees and chin resting on top of his hands, “Hello, Y/N… You’ll have to forgive the completely cliché reveal but it’s not every day that your lover tries to kill you in your sleep.” His eyes remained passive, “Really what are you doing, Y/N? You’re no assassin… So why in the world are you creeping around in the dark? Actually, don’t tell me. Truth is I already know… word travels fast, you see.”

You were practically shaking with rage, “Why did you do it, Pagan?”

He quirked his head to the side, “Why did I do what, my sweet?”

You couldn’t help but raise your voice to a near shout, “Why did you execute my brother?”

You regretted it almost immediately as the volume of your voice could easily alert any number of the royal guards. Pagan sensed your sudden distress, “Don’t worry, I ordered my guards to keep some distance from this wing of the palace. How do you think you made it here so easily? Didn’t you find it strange that the guard rotation was so light at every single checkpoint that you slipped through?” You eyed him suspiciously as he got up from his seat, “I knew that you were coming, Y/N, and yet I did nothing to stop you.”

He walked over to you and reached out to cup your cheek but you violently smacked his hand away, “Why did you do it, Pagan? My brother was the only family that I had left and you knew that… so why?”

He chuckled lightly, “Yes I did know that, Y/N. So ask yourself, what could I possibly have to gain by killing your brother?” He waited a moment for you to answer but he continued shortly thereafter, “The answer, my dear, is that I had absolutely nothing to gain by ordering your brother’s execution. So why in the hell would I have done it? I suppose I could have always done it to make an example out of him; show the people of Kyrat what I’m capable of. But if I wanted to make an example of someone then I could have chosen any citizen of Kyrat; it wouldn’t have needed to be your brother.”

You were so tired of the back and forth, “What are you saying, Pagan?”

He crossed the distance and cupped your cheeks in his palms; you went rigid in his touch, “I’m saying that someone planned your brother’s death but it wasn’t me, Y/N. As terrible as Kyrat paints me, I wouldn’t do that, not to you at the very least. But you knew that didn’t you?” You jerked out of his grasp harshly, “There is a voice inside of you, no matter how small, that knows I played no part in your brother’s death.”

Your voice was filled with venom, “Your soldiers were there… he was found amongst the bodies of the Royal guard. Do you expect me to believe you played no part in the light of that kind of evidence?”

Pagan shook his head as a smirk crossed his face, “Yes, your brother was found amongst the dead bodies of my Royal guard… isn’t it funny that there were no survivors when the Golden Path happened upon the scene? Come now, Y/N… surely something in that picture seems out of place.”

Your breath caught in your throat, “What do you mean?”

Another frustrated sigh, “What I mean, my sweet, is that even you can’t deny that the entire scenario screams betrayal. And I don’t mean my betrayal but betrayal that hits a little closer to home. Perhaps, someone that your brother trusted and might have motive to kill him?” You were quiet and he took the initiative, “Really? You can’t think of a single person that would be willing to kill for what they believe in? My word, you live in a fucking lion’s den of freedom fighters all shambling around trying to dethrone me!”

You were trying to hang on to your sudden calm, “Are you suggesting that someone in the Golden Path killed my brother? Why would they do such a thing?”

Pagan groaned and snapped his fingers a couple times, “Wake up, Y/N! You are smarter than this… use that positively gorgeous head of yours and think about it. You were close to quite a few of the Golden Path’s top dogs and then you and I met… There isn’t a single person that you can think of that might have been burned by that change of heart?”

You shook your head violently, “No, they wouldn’t do that! They are like family they would never do something like that!”

Pagan chuckled, “Oh my dear, you would be surprised at what the idea of power could do. Better yet, you would be amazed at what jealousy is capable of motivating people to do. No sin is too great if the prize is desired enough.”

Your voice was still deceptively calm, “You’re attempting to convince me that someone in the Golden Path, one of my friends, was jealous of your power? And that jealousy led them to kill my brother? That is ridiculous!”

Pagan walked over to the bed and picked up the dagger you had dropped there earlier, “Is it? Is it really that ridiculous? I had everything that they needed and wanted…” He lazily motioned toward you with the dagger, “I had you, my dear. Something that they would have killed for and they did. Think about it, you are my closest confidant someone that I trust completely. A fairly tempting perspective for someone who wants me out of the way; you know all of my habits and exactly how to get to me… And that, my dear, makes you the perfect angle. If you could be convinced that I had betrayed you then your rage would give you the perfect motive to eliminate me. And here we are, Y/N… you played into that plan perfectly.”

You hated to admit it but you could see the picture that Pagan was trying to paint but you tried not to be swayed. It was difficult because you loved this man, you had spent years loving this man and you would love nothing more than for him to be innocent of this crime. You eyed him warily, “If not you, then who? Who would have done this?”

Pagan walked toward you grabbing one of your hands, “Something tells me that you already know the answer to that, Y/N. You can already picture someone, can’t you?”

You felt nauseous just thinking about it but you saw a face in the back of your mind and you couldn’t bear it because you had trusted them. More importantly your brother had trusted them and that trust had cost him his life. There was one question still lingering in the back of your mind, “But why?”

Pagan chuckled openly, “Why would they kill someone that put their faith in them? It happens, my dear, death is a part of life and sometimes when you dangle power in front of someone’s face… well suddenly they’ll do just about anything. Power can be quite intoxicating and it’s easy to lose yourself in the presence of it.”

You closed your eyes and let out a shaky breath, “And I suppose you would count yourself among those that find power intoxicating?”

He pushed a stray lock of hair behind your ear, “Among other things but yes.” Suddenly Pagan was placing the dagger he had picked up into your open palm. You were utterly confused as he curled your fingers along the hilt, “Never mind that, Y/N… You came here for a reason and we can’t have you forgetting why you’re here. You came here to kill a King and now my life is in your hands…”


	5. Beside You (Nathan Prescott X Reader)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AN: The fourth request in my iPod Shuffle One-Shot Challenge and it was for a Nathan Prescott X Reader story. Five skips were requested which landed on Beside You by Marianas Trench. Which is a great song so give it a listen if you a chance. I’m going to add some lyrics from the song to this one-shot. Trigger Warning: Life Is Strange deals with some dark material and this story is no exception, please read it with caution. Again, I apologize for the lack of posting but work has been kicking my butt. I’m really sorry! I hope you enjoy the story!

Nathan had skipped another day of classes and you were officially worried; it wasn’t like Nathan hadn’t shown this type of behavior before it’s just he’s your best friend and you couldn’t help but be worried. You floated through your classes barely paying any attention to any of the lessons your teachers were trying to give; instead you opted to constantly checking your phone. You were also consistently shooting Nathan text messages but he wasn’t replying to any of them. You nervously tapped your fingers against tour desk as the minutes quite literally crawled by, waiting for your last class to finish up. You practically ran out of your last class, completely ignoring the dirty looks that your teacher was giving you. 

You practically ran across campus as you went over all the possible scenarios in your mind, did Nathan have another fight with his father? Was he in trouble? What could he be going through that he couldn’t tell you about? It always worried you when Nathan withdrew further into himself. You arrived in front of the boys’ dormitory, slightly out of breath but you did your best to compose yourself before clambering through the front doors. You climbed the stairs and narrowly dodged a football that flew by your head; you rolled your eyes and walked past your rowdy classmates. You reached Nathan’s dorm and oddly enough you could hear music coming through the closed door; you knocked on his door a few times but there was no answer.

You knocked a little bit harder, “Nathan? Nathan… It’s Y/N. Can you open the door?” There was still no answer so you decided to try the door handle, to your surprise it was unlocked but when you opened the door you were met with an overpowering wave of smoke. You couldn’t help but cough through the thick and foul smelling haze that filled the room, “Nathan?”

Nathan lazily raised one of his arms and waved, you noticed he was lying on his bed and you detected a giggle in his tone, “Present! Hey, Y/N, what’s up?”

You rolled your eyes, he was high… of course he was. You quickly grabbed the weed from his hand and crushed it into one of his ashtrays, ignoring his protests, as you moved to open his windows. You sat down on the edge of his bed and looked at him, “I thought you told me you were going to give that stuff up?” Nathan didn’t even look at you he just stared up toward the ceiling, you sighed, “Nathan, what’s going on? You missed the past two days of classes…”

Nathan groaned, “What-the-fuck-ever… I practically own this school no one is going to care if I don’t show up now and then.”  
Your voice was quiet but you were sure he heard you, “I care…”

Nathan let out a shaky breath, “Yeah I guess you do… but why?”

You sighed quietly, “It’s like I said… I care. I care about you, Nathan; we’ve been friends for years. And because we’ve been friends for years I know when something is bothering you, so what is it?”

(When your tears are spent on your last pretense and your tired eyes refuse to close and sleep in your defense. When it's in your spine like you've walked for miles and the only thing you want is just to be still for a while)

Nathan’s voice was shaky as he sat up and faced you, immediately you noticed the dark circles under his eyes as he spoke, “I’m just… I don’t know. I’m just tired, Y/N, I’m just so tired…”

You reached out and grabbed Nathan’s hand reassuringly, “I can see that… I take it you haven’t been sleeping well?”

Nathan shook his head, “Not that kind of tired, Y/N. Although, I guess I really haven’t been sleeping all that well lately. I meant I’m just tired of this of everything…”

Your heart broke at Nathan’s words, “What do you mean you’re tired of everything?”

Nathan looked at you sadly, “It’s just that sometimes I start thinking, what is the point? What is the point of all of this, of life?”

(When you're overwhelmed and you've lost your breath. When the space between the things you know is blurry nonetheless. When you try to speak but you make no sound and the words you want are out of reach but they've never been so loud.)

You looked at him in utter shock, “Nathan, why would you say that? What’s the point? You have people who love and care about you…”

Before you could finish, Nathan cut in, “My family doesn’t care and everyone else is just using me to get what they want and then they leave until they need something again.”

Your vision was growing blurry with unshed tears, “That’s not true, Nathan! We all care about you, especially me. The only thing that I wanted from you was for you to find   
some happiness. I know that life sucks and it’s okay to feel down about it but you are an incredible person, Nathan, and I need you.”

His voice was hoarse, “No you don’t… you deserve so much better than me and when you realize that you’ll just end up leaving me behind like everyone else.”

You raised your voice at him, letting a few trembling tears slide down your cheek, “How could you say that? We have known each other for years; I am never going to leave you behind and you know that.”

(If your heart wears thin I will hold you up and I will hide you when it gets too much. I'll be right beside you; nobody will break you.)

Nathan looked like he was about to cry, “Y/N, I’ve done terrible things, things that no matter how much I want to, I can’t take them back and I am just so tired of all of it. The regret, the manipulation and everything that comes with it; I just feel so worthless…”

You crept closer to Nathan and hugged him, “You are not worthless, and no matter what you did, I will stand beside you and we can work through it together. You are not alone in this fight, Nathan. If you ever feel like giving up or if you stumble now and then, then I will be right there with you to pick you back up.” 

Nathan tightened his hold on you, “Why are you so good to me?”

You gathered all of your courage up and pressed a gentle kiss to Nathan’s lips; he was shocked at first but after a moment he was kissing you back, cupping your cheeks in his hands. After a while you pulled away for air, “Because I care about you… more than anything, Nathan. I will always be in your corner because your happiness is my happiness.”

Nathan suddenly looked a little misty eyed before pulling you into another heated kiss; finding any reason to pull you closer. When he did pull away, he rested his forehead against your own, “I love you, Y/N…”

You smiled as you gave his temple a quick peck, “I love you, too.”


	6. Stranger (Sam Drake X Reader)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AN: This is the fifth request for my iPod Shuffle One-Shot Challenge and it was a request for a Sam Drake X Reader story. Three skips were requested and that landed on the song Stranger by Secondhand Serenade. I highly recommend giving the song a listen before you read the story. Enjoy! Trigger Warning: The reader has a tragic backstory in this fic; read with caution because there will be death and illness mentions. (I may have gone overboard on this story when establishing the reader’s backstory… But I wanted the reader to have a reason for being so guarded and hesitant to let people in; like Sam. Idk if this is any good but here’s hoping… I know that I still have my ask box closed for most requests but if you guys want to see me expand upon this story, as in writing a sequel; let me know. Any feedback or comments are always appreciated.)

The house was dead quiet and pitch black as you tip toed your way through the old creaky house. Your flashlight was barely helping your visibility and you were practically stumbling into everything in your path; you knew you should have changed the damn batteries. You smacked your flashlight against the palm of your hand when it began to flicker but thankfully even in the dim lighting it provided you were able to find a staircase. You crept up the stairs quietly, you were the only one here but you still needed to be reasonably cautious. You stepped lightly and took the stairs two at a time; you crept through the empty house when you heard a loud crashing sound coming from a room just a few feet in front of you. 

You froze mid step, the owner of the house was supposed to be out of town for the next week but the soft muffled sound of a string of curses drifted through the walls. You relaxed slightly, you could still be in danger but at least you currently weren’t in danger of being thrown in Juvie. You carefully moved toward the door before turning the knob and throwing the door open; you were met with the surprised look of a would be thief. You quickly looked him over and concluded that he was around your age, you were the one to break the stunned silence, “Who the hell are you?”

He threw up his arms defensively, “Hey look I’m sorry. I didn’t know that anyone was home… I didn’t take anything so please don’t call the cops. I’ll turn around and leave… we can just pretend like none of this even happened.”

He thought that you lived here? You laughed lightly, “I’m not going to turn you in, kid. This isn’t even my house… So it looks like we’re both not supposed to be here.”

He seemed a little flabbergasted, “Wait, what?”

You smirked and took in his appearance, as much as you hated to admit it, he was cute and at least a head taller than you. You shook your head, “Look kid, do you think I would be walking around my own house carrying a flashlight? Wearing a backpack and gloves, for that matter?”

He ruffled his hair before eyeing you carefully, “No I guess not… Listen, would you stop calling me kid? We’ve got to be at least the same age…” You couldn’t help but chuckle at how flustered he was getting. Suddenly he stuck out his hand, “Anyway, my name is Sam Morgan and you are?”

You took his outstretched hand and shook it, “Y/N… I’m Y/N L/N. So Sam Morgan, What brings you to this neck of the woods?”

He gawked at you for a moment, “Umm… usually this is the part where I’d lie and try to talk my way out of a situation but honestly…”

You finished for him, “You’re here to steal something. Relax Sam, I’m not going to turn you over to the cops or judge you. We’re obviously in the same boat… If you’re looking for money I’d try the bedroom; he seems like the type to keep money under his mattress.” 

You started to walk away from Sam when you heard him call out to you, “Hey! Where are you going, Y/N?”

You reached the door that you were looking for and when you turned the knob you were delighted to find that the door was unlocked. Before disappearing into the office you turned to Sam, “I’m getting what I came here for, now go.”

You examined the room around you and you were disappointed to find that there was no predictably well-guarded safe holding any important items; that made your job a little more difficult. You sighed and walked around the home office, checking all off the file cabinets but none of them had what you were looking for. So you moved onto the desk, chuckling slightly when you noticed a locked drawer; you took out your lock pick kit and went to work. You nearly had the drawer open when Sam entered the office; his entrance scared you half to death but you were thankful it was just your impromptu partner that walked in. Sam smiled as he closed his backpack and strung it over his shoulders once more, “How did you know that he kept money under his mattress?”

You shrugged and continued to work on the lock, “He’s filthy rich and besides everything that he really wants to protect is under lock and key.” You felt the lock click open and you cheered internally as you successfully opened the lock; you riffled through the drawer until your hand caressed the familiar aged leather of something you thought you lost years ago. You stuffed the journal in your bag and closed the desk drawer once more; you were content to try and leave everything as you had found it to deflect any suspicion, for a moment at the very least. 

As you got up to leave Sam eyed you skeptically, “You came here just for that journal?”

You sighed and quickly walked past him, eager to leave the premises before you got caught, “Yes, I did… It belongs to my family and this guy had no business trying to covet it.” Just then you heard the revving of an engine and you saw the harsh beams of light wash over the room, you quickly ducked down pulling Sam down with you, “Crap! He wasn’t supposed to be home for another week! Come on there’s an open window around the corner… we need to get out of here.”

You and Sam diligently made your way back to the open window and slipped outside before Sam grabbed your hand and pulled you along, “Come on, there’s a fence that we can climb over; it’s not too far from here.” You chose to trust him and followed his movements until the both of you reached an iron gate next to a brick fence. Sam cleared the wall easily before turning and offering you his hand, you jumped and grabbed his waiting hand letting him pull you up and over the fence.

You landed on the ground with a soft thud; you were both slightly out of breath after your quick escape, “Thank you, Sam. I must say it was really… um interesting… meeting you tonight.” 

You turned and started to walk away but Sam called out to you, “Hey Y/N… wait! Can I at least give you a ride?”

It was sweet of him to offer but him giving you a ride would entail him finding out where you lived and discovering your current predicament. You shook your head slightly, “I’ll be fine Sam. I made my way here on my own and I can get back just fine on my own. But thank you…”

This time Sam actually gripped your hand to stop you, “Please? I get the feeling that you don’t have a mode of transportation…”

You sighed gently, “I walked here… but believe me I will be okay, Sam. I can find my way back easily.”

Sam didn’t appear as though he was going to let this drop easily, “Please just let me give you that ride. It’s late and I would feel a lot better if I could see you getting back safely.”

The look he was giving you had you melting and you knew that you would probably regret this later but you gave in, “Okay… fine. Thank you, Sam.” You climbed onto the back of his Motorcycle, right behind Sam, and you gave him your address. The ride was quiet, save for the roaring din of the bike’s engine and the wind as it whipped past your face; you informed Sam to stop a few feet away from your destination.

He pulled the bike to a halt and looked at the building in front of him in utter shock, “You live here?”

You nodded solemnly, “Yeah, Sister Catherine’s Home for Young Women… it’s an orphanage.” You were met with the familiar look of shock and poorly concealed pity that came whenever someone new learned about your current situation, “Thank you for the ride… look after yourself, okay?”

Sam called out to you one last time, “Hey, Y/N? Is there any chance that I’ll see you again?”

His tone was hopeful so you looked over your shoulder with a smirk, “Maybe… we’ll just have to wait and see.” After that you quickly made your way back into the orphanage and climbed in through your unlocked window. You silently thanked God that you had a room to yourself as you laid down across your stiff cot and flipped through the journal you had recovered this evening.

You didn’t believe that you would ever see Sam Morgan again for as long as you lived but you were incredibly wrong. You were searching for a book on your bookshelf when a knocking on your window startled you very nearly giving you a heart attack. You saw the familiar figure of Sam and you quickly opened the window, “Sam? What are you doing here? How did you get up here?”

He was slightly out of breath but he gave you a goofy smile, “I climbed… obviously.”

You repressed a giggle, “What? Did you climb the steeple? I’m like ninety percent sure that that is considered a sin.”

He laughed with you, “Well it looks like I’ll be going to confession. Anyway, I wanted to see you and I also needed your help.”

You quirked an eyebrow at him and smiled playfully, “You wanted to see me? Did I make that much of an impression?”

Sam laughed and you couldn’t help but marvel at how cute the sound was, he smiled at you, “Well you’re a kickass thief who knows what they’re doing and you’re cute…”  
You couldn’t help but giggle at that last part, “Oh? So, you think I’m cute?”

Sam’s face visibly reddened and you couldn’t help but continue to giggle as he stumbled over his words, “Well I mean… Yeah I mean I guess…”

You grabbed your bag before moving back to the window, “Alright Sam, lead the way…” You were never one to put your faith in people and get close to them but something in the way that Sam smiled at you told you that you were right to trust him. 

Over the next year you continued to meet up with Sam and work with him; although the jobs that the two of you were undertaking were less than righteous you did them anyway. You had grown incredibly close to Sam and when he told you of his situation and childhood, well you couldn’t ignore how it made your heart clench. Sam had even introduced you to his little brother, Nathan, and you couldn’t help but take a shine to the younger Morgan sibling. You continued to help Sam on certain jobs because you came to care for him and Nathan; you wanted to help them have a chance at a better life. 

Stealing wasn’t the only thing that brought you and Sam together, you both shared an intense love of history and mythology which led to many late night discussions about the most seemingly random historical events or myths. However, you were still guarded around Sam to the point that you would often change the subject when your conversations turned to you and your past. You cared for Sam greatly but your life had been anything but easy so far and you distanced yourself from everyone around you in order to protect yourself. You vowed to keep working together but you tried to keep your feelings out of the way; something that you were inevitably failing miserably at.

After one particular job that you were working with Sam he suddenly blurted something out as you were getting off his motorcycle, “Shit! I completely forgot that I promised Nathan I would take him to that street fair tomorrow.”

You cocked an eyebrow at him, “Okay… so what’s the problem? You said you would take him tomorrow; it’s not like you missed the day. You can still take him…”

Sam shook his head, “The problem is… I have a job that I took on and it’s going down tomorrow night. I don’t think that I’ll be able to do both but I really need that money to be able to support Nathan.”

You were starting to get the picture, “Okay, how about this? I’ll take Nathan to the Street Fair and you can meet us there when your job is finished.”

There was a huge smile on Sam’s face and a look of pure awe in his eyes, “You would really do that?”

You smiled at him, “Of course I would, Nathan is like a brother to me. Just try to make it to the fair when you’re finished… for Nathan, okay?”

Sam pulled you into a tight hug and you tried to ignore how good it felt being in his arms; you couldn’t deny that you had strong feelings for Sam any longer. However, you had the tendency to keep people at a distance and you needed to not grow attached; which was difficult considering the way he looked at you and held you as if you were his life line. Sam kissed the top of your head, “I will, I promise… thank you, Y/N.”

You said your goodnights and you made your way back to your room in the orphanage; you tried desperately to get some sleep but your tumultuous emotions made that difficult. The following night you helped Nathan sneak out of his own orphanage and you drove him down to the Street Fair on one of Sam’s old motorcycles that he leant you.

As you and Nathan were walking toward the Fair he stopped rather suddenly, “Sam isn’t going to be here is he?”

You looked down at Nathan and took in his disappointed look which broke your heart, you ruffled his hair playfully, “Of course he is! He’s just going to be a little late… Now let’s turn that frown into a smile. How about some ice cream? What’s your favorite flavor?”

Nathan looked a little sad, “I don’t know I’ve never had ice cream before or if I did I was too young to remember.”

Your mind wandered back to what Sam had told you about his and Nathan’s parents and their childhood, you tried to lighten the mood, “Well, we’re going to fix that.” You took Nathan’s hand and took him over to the ice cream vendor; ordering him a scoop of vanilla and a scoop of chocolate ice cream. You passed him the cone, “Here you go the best of both worlds.”

You were delighted when you watched Nathan’s eyes light up as he ate, “This is amazing!” You giggled happily as you went from booth to booth playing various games with Nathan; he was exceptionally good at them and he even won a prize which was a stuffed lemur of all things. The two of you had a blast riding the carousel and various other small rides littered along the streets.

You and Nathan had stopped to watch a street magician and Nathan was absolutely enthralled, so enthralled that neither of you heard Sam approaching. He wrapped an arm around your shoulder and then ruffled Nathan’s hair, “Having fun, guys?”

Nathan was the first to react, “Sam! What took you so long?”

Nathan did a poor job of concealing the disappointment in his voice, causing Sam to frown, “I’m sorry, Nathan… I really wanted to be here with you and Y/N but I had to work. But I’m here now… how about one more ride before we sneak you back into the orphanage?”

Nathan sighed, “Fine… but I want to ride the Ferris Wheel. Y/N and I haven’t tried that one yet.”

Sam chuckled, “Okay fine, lead the way Nathan.” Nathan started walking toward the Ferris Wheel but Sam kept his arm firmly wrapped around your shoulder, “Thank you for doing this. For letting him have some fun when I couldn’t be there.”

You smiled gently, “It’s okay, Sam… Nathan and I both know that you really wanted to be here. Besides, Nathan is an amazing kid.” You, Nathan and Sam all boarded the Ferris Wheel together; Nathan sat in his own seat with his prize while you and Sam sat across from him. Sam still draped an arm protectively around your shoulder, as the two of you listened to Nathan’s animated recount of the night’s events. By the time the Ferris Wheel had reached its peak Nathan was fast asleep and you couldn’t help but smile fondly. The ride started to descend as you quietly spoke to Sam, “He has such a bright future ahead of him; he’s so passionate and quick as a whip.”

Sam never responded so you turned your head toward him and realized that he was staring at you in complete adoration. You blushed as your heartrate increased, “What is it, Sam?”

He simply smiled, “It’s nothing I was just thinking about how amazing you are.” You couldn’t speak and Sam took the opportunity to pull you closer and into a sweet kiss; you were shocked and your mind was telling you to pull away and keep your distance. But it was overpowered by the hammering of your heart and the indescribable desire to pull Sam as close to you as you could. You returned his passionate kiss and began running your fingers through his hair while he kept you close and caressed your cheek tenderly. The sudden jerking motion of the ride coming to an end brought you back to your senses and you practically jumped away from Sam; trying to hide your face from him. 

You didn’t even look at Sam instead choosing to gently wake Nathan up and help him off the ride. You quickly turned to Sam and Nathan, desperately trying to avoid eye contact with Sam, “It’s um… It’s getting late and I need to get back before the sisters notice that I’m gone. Sam you can handle getting Nathan back safely right?”

You didn’t dare even catch Sam’s eye, “Of course I can but Y/N…”

You never let him continue, “Great! I’ll leave the bike you loaned me exactly where I picked it up with the keys back were you originally hid them. Goodnight!” And just like that you were practically running to your borrowed bike; you were out of there in a split second and you drove as fast as legally possible. With your loaner motorcycle properly hidden away you were finally able to sneak back into the orphanage and into your room.

You were lying in your bed drawing in your sketchbook trying to keep your mind off of the events tonight but you couldn’t. You and Sam kissed and it was arguably one of the best moments of your life, in recent memory. It had been such a long time since you felt so comfortable and close to someone; it had been years since you had felt so connected to someone but that was a problem. You couldn’t let Sam get close to you no matter how badly you might want him; you were so stuck in your thoughts that you nearly jumped out of your skin when you heard someone tapping on your window. You jumped off of your bed and turned toward your window to see Sam crouched down in front of your window beckoning you over.

You went over your options and finally walked over to the window and opened it, “Sam, what are you doing here?”

He looked out of breath and flustered, “We need to talk, Y/N.”

You shook your head and backed away from the window slightly, “No, Sam, that is a bad idea… If one of the Nuns catches us then we’ll both be in serious trouble.”

Sam didn’t look like he was giving up, “They’ve never caught me before and right now I don’t care… Y/N, I need to talk to you and either we can talk outside or we can talk right here. It’s your choice…”

You sighed in frustration before grabbing your bag and returning to the window, “Okay… after you.” You carefully and quietly followed Sam down the steep walls and ledges of the orphanage; until you reached a long drop into the bushes below. You hesitated but Sam only urged you to make the jump; with your eyes closed you plunged into the bushes below but the inevitable crash in the never came. You carefully opened your eyes and noticed that Sam had caught you in his arms; you blushed lightly as he gently lowered you onto the ground, “Thank you.”

Sam’s hands lingered on your hips momentarily before he grabbed your hand and pulled you along until you reached the alleyway were his motorcycle was parked. The ride was seemingly quiet and there was an underlying tension but soon enough Sam pulled up to an abandoned park. You quickly hopped off the motorcycle and slowly began to walk away but a hand wrapped itself around your own and stopped you in your movements; you turned around and saw that Sam was still seated on his motorcycle. Both of his legs were draped over the left side of his bike and the look on his face was almost broken, “What’s going on, Y/N?”

Your heart clenched at the way Sam’s voice cracked and it threatened to bring tears to your eyes but you fought it, “What do you mean, Sam?”

He weakly shook his head, “Stop it, Y/N. Stop deflecting… You know exactly what I’m talking about. Tonight, when we were at that street fair with Nathan… we kissed and it was perfect but then you ended up doing the same thing that you always do when I try to get close to you. You keep running away from me and it’s killing me.” You tried to fight your tears as he stood up and stepped toward you, “It’s killing me to be so in love with someone who treats me like I’m a stranger to them; it’s like I don’t matter to you. Look, if you don’t want me in your life, Y/N, then I’ll go. The idea kills me but I’ll leave you alone if that’s what you want.” 

You watched Sam turn around and you finally let the tears wash over you as you realized that watching Samuel Morgan walk out of your life was the last thing that you wanted. You threw your arms around Sam’s waist and buried your face in his back, you let out a quiet sob, “Please don’t go… Sam, please don’t leave me. I can’t lose you too.”

Sam turned around and pulled you into a hug letting you cry into his shoulder, “Lose me too? You’re not going to lose me, angel. Y/N, I won’t leave you but you need to let me in… tell me what’s going on.” 

You shook your head as tears streamed down your face, “I’m alone, Sam…”

He pulled back slightly and cupped your cheeks before kissing your forehead, “You’re not alone… I’m right here. I am here for you, Y/N.”

You tried to back away from Sam but he refused to relinquish his hold on you, “Sam everyone that I have ever loved or gotten close to has either died or left me behind. Soon enough you’ll leave me too… I’m pushing you away because this is how I end up protecting myself. It would be better for us to just go our separate ways…”

Before you could finish Sam pulled you into his arms and he was kissing you hard and you couldn’t find it in yourself to pull away. You wrapped your shaking hands around Sam’s waist as tightly as you could and a few moments later Sam pulled away slightly and began peppering kisses all over your face. He paid special attention to your tear stained cheeks and trembling eyelids before pulling away, “I’m not going to let that happen.” He gave you another quick kiss on your lips before pulling you into another hug; his fingers were running through your hair as he spoke, “I refuse to let you go, Y/N. Like it or not you’re stuck with me now. But tell me what you meant before… when you said that everyone you’ve ever cared about has either died or left you behind.”

You pulled away from Sam’s embrace and wiped away a few stray tears before pulling your backpack off of your shoulders, “Do you remember how we met?”  
Sam watched you pensively as you dug around in your bag, “Yeah, we were both poking around in that rich guy’s house; you told me his name but I can’t remember it.”  
You pulled the large leather-bound journal from your bag and handed it to Sam, “Charles Thomas… He was a benefactor of my mother.” With that news Sam looked up to you questioningly before opening the journal that you handed him, “My mother worked with him I guess… she always loved history, mythology, and ancient civilizations; she was an expert in her field. She and my father worked together and they were making tremendous progress toward some of the greatest finds mankind could have imagined; The City of Caesars’, The White City of Honduras, and even Atlantis.” 

You paused for a moment to wipe some more of your tears away; it didn’t go unnoticed by Sam as he rushed to your side to comfort you. You felt more relaxed in his arms but the tears continued to drip down your face as you continued, “But then my father got sick, I was ten when the doctors told me he would be lucky to have two or three more years with my mother and I. We were all devastated but my mother chose to throw herself into her work but her focus changed. The lost cities that she was on the verge of discovering before were tossed aside; she developed an obsession with finding immortality or at the very least a way to prolong human life.”

Sam pulled away slightly with a worried look, “Immortality?”

You sighed wearily, “Yeah, suddenly my mother began collecting research on places that were believed to contain the secret to eternal or prolonged human life. I was ten years old and I remember reading through my mother’s books on the Sumerian City of Eridu, The Garden of the Hesperides, Shangri-La, and even The Beyuls…”

Sam looked a little confused and you didn’t blame him, “Um… The Beyuls?”

You nodded your head gently, “They were also referred to as ‘The Hidden Lands’ they were Buddhist safe havens created by Padmasambhava; he was revered as the second Buddha. They were told to be literal paradises where immortality could be achieved.”

Sam still looked confused, “Y/N, you’re Catholic… why would you’re mother be attempting to find a Buddhist safe haven?”

You felt more tears burning behind your eyes, “I am but my religion would tell me to pray and wait; maybe even hope for a miracle. My mother wasn’t satisfied with that notion any longer; she loved my father too much to just leave things in God’s hands. She was terrified of the idea that death comes with life; it’s the terrifying truth that I’ve had to live with while she tried to escape it.” You were crying again as you tried to continue, “My father passed away when I was thirteen and then a few months later my mother and I were in a car accident; it was late and raining and someone ran a red light. I woke up in a hospital three days later to a bunch of strangers; two of those strangers were Father Henry and Sister Mary, whom informed me of my situation… My mother had passed away in the accident and they worried that I wouldn’t wake but I pulled through; I’m told that it was a miracle. They also told me that I would be moving into Sister Catherine’s Home for Young Woman; I was sent to an orphanage because my only living relative, my aunt, denied custody of me.”

In response Sam tightened his grip on you and rubbed soothing circles against your back, “Y/N, I’m so sorry… It was hard for me when I was sent to an orphanage but I always had Nathan… And do you know what? Now I’ve got you and you have me… you’re never going to be alone again, Y/N, I swear.”

You could hear the earnest resolve in his voice and you believed him, “Thank you, Sam… for everything.”

Sam pulled back and gave you another passionate kiss before looking at you, “But why did you decide to steal your mother’s journal from that Thomas guy?”

You sighed again, “When I was in the hospital recovering, I was informed that all of my parents’ belongings were being auctioned of; including my mother’s journal. It was the only piece of her and my dad that I could track down and find. I don’t know… I guess I was hoping to finish what my parents had started. Charles Thomas sure wasn’t getting anywhere and honestly he didn’t deserve to claim what my parents were so close to finding.”

Sam nodded in acknowledgement before pointing toward his motorcycle, “I should probably get you back to Sister Catherine’s before I get you into trouble.” You smiled weakly at him and gathered your things before hopping onto the bike behind Sam. He quirked a smile over his shoulder at you, “Hold on tight!” You tightly wound your arms around Sam’s waist and basked in his comforting warmth; you made it back to the orphanage in record time. 

You hoped off the bike and quickly kissed his cheek, “Thanks for the ride.”

Just as you were about to walk away you heard Sam calling out to you, “Y/N, wait…” You turned around just in time to have Sam capture your lips with his own once more. When you both pulled away panting, Sam looked you straight in the eye with his goofy boyish grin that you adored, “I love you, Y/N.”

You couldn’t help the smile that made its way to your lips, “I love you too, Sam. I’ll see you later okay?” You made it back to your room safely and without drawing any attention to yourself; for the first time in a long time you slept peacefully and content.

You didn’t see Sam for the next two days but that was hardly unusual he showed up that night at your window just as he always did. You smiled and put down your book before opening your window, “Sam! Wait, what is it? What’s wrong?”

He looked petrified and pale when you looked at him through the open window, “Y/N, I need you to come with me… I’ll explain everything once we get you out of here. Just please… we need to talk.” Your heart sank at his words and serious tone but you followed him safely out of the orphanage and to an alley where, to your surprise, Nathan was waiting beside Sam’s motorcycle.

When you got a good look at Nathan’s face you rushed to his side, “Nathan, what happened? Who did this to you?”

He looked a little shaken up but it didn’t seem like it was your question that had him rattled, “I got into a fight with some kids at the orphanage… it’s not a big deal.”

Sam came up behind you and pulled you up to face him, “Listen, Y/N, we don’t have a lot of time but I need to talk to you.” You were growing more and more anxious as he spoke, “Nathan and I have to leave town… something happened tonight when we were getting our mom’s journal and now the cops are after us. So we need to leave town tonight… We’re leaving town and starting over.”

And just like that the happiness and hope that you felt only days ago was crushed; you took several steps away from Sam, “You’re leaving… tonight? Are- are you ever coming back?” The look in Sam’s eyes told you everything that you needed to know; he was leaving and leaving you behind in the process. Sam tried to approach you but you stopped him, “No, it’s okay, Sam. If you have to leave then just leave… don’t worry about me.”

Suddenly Sam pulled you into a crushing embrace, “You don’t understand, Y/N. I meant everything that I said two nights ago… I’m never going to leave you. I came here to take you with us…”

You were utterly dumbfounded at the idea; he wanted you to just run away with him? You stuttered nervously, “What?”

Sam cupped your cheeks and kissed you deeply before answering, “I love you, Y/N. I want you to come with us. Think about it we could pick up where our mother’s left off and find these lost cities. We were all meant for this… so please, come with us. Come with me, Y/N.”

**I apologize for making the reader Catholic; I realize that it makes the reader’s backstory similar to Sam’s but hey I was raised Catholic myself… so sorry! Comments and feedback are always appreciated.


End file.
